Highlights

Frequently Asked Questions

Active employees can actively working civil service employees suspend their FEHB coverage to use CHAMPVA, TRICARE or TRICARE-for-Life? No. Employees may not suspend their coverage.
However, they can cancel their coverage to use CHAMPVA, TRICARE or TRICARE-for-Life.
Employees who do not participate in premium conversion may cancel their enrollment at any time. For employees who participate in premium conversion, eligibility for CHAMPVA or TRICARE is not a qualifying life event that would allow them to cancel their FEHB enrollment.
These employees may cancel during any annual FEHB Open Season. If an employee who canceled FEHB coverage to use CHAMPVA, TRICARE or TRICARE-for-Life decides to return to FEHB coverage, the employee can do so during a future Open Season.
If the employee loses CHAMPVA, TRICARE or TRICARE-for-Life coverage involuntarily, the employee can immediately reenroll in the FEHB Program.

Final Regulation Excerpt

One commenter asked if active civil service employees could suspend their FEHB coverage to use TRlCARE or TRlCARE-for-Life. The regulation does not allow employees to suspend their coverage. This is because employees have always had the option of canceling their coverage with the right to reenroll in the FEHB Program during a future Open Season, or immediately if they involuntarily lose TRICARE coverage. ln the past, annuitants, survivors, and former spouses never had the option to reenroll in the F EHB Program after leaving for TRlCARE. Our new regulation creates this authority.